Recovery from alcohol abuse or dependence means finding a way to stay sober while changing your attitudes and behaviors. You will work to restore relationships with your family and friends and people at your job or school. You will need to find meaning and happiness in a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t include alcohol.

Recovery is not a cure. It is a lifelong process. It begins in treatment, but it doesn’t end when your treatment ends. There are 10 principles of recovery that can help you reach your goals and learn new things to help yourself. They help you gain self-confidence and respect for yourself. They make clear that you’re in charge of your recovery. How far you go is up to you.

To stay sober after treatment, focus on your goals. Find things to do, such as sports or volunteer work. Learn how to say no to alcohol and drugs.

Support

An important part of recovery is being sure you have support. You can:

• Develop and use social support and support groups. Support comes in many forms. You can find it in seminars and groups led by professionals, 12-step groups made up of others with drinking problems, and your relationships with family and friends. You can make support groups more helpful by being an active member.
• Connect with family and friends. They can help you stop drinking and stay sober by encouraging positive steps. For them to do this, you have to be honest with them about your problems and help them by trying.
• Take part in recovery group activities. You may have used alcohol to make friends or be with a social group. Your counselor or doctor can help you learn skills to make friends without drinking. For example, your counselor may help you find a social skills training class.
• Find a sponsor and work with this person. A sponsor is someone who has been in recovery for a long time and helps you stay alcohol-free.

Lapse and relapse

Stopping alcohol use is very hard. It’s not unusual to have setbacks, even years later. Very few people succeed the first time they try. Many people who are trying to recover from alcohol addiction will have lapses or relapses along the way.

• A lapse is the first time you use alcohol again after you have quit or brief episodes of alcohol use at later points.
• A relapse is not being able to stay sober over time. It can occur if you have a series of lapses close together or a lapse that leads to heavier alcohol use over a longer period.

A lapse or relapse doesn’t mean you or your treatment has failed. It may mean that you just slipped up. If this is true for you, accept the mistake and move on. Try to find out why you relapsed and make changes in your life so that it won’t happen again. You also may need more treatment or another type of treatment or more time in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

A relapse is most likely to occur in the first few months after you stop drinking. It’s smart to plan for a relapse before it happens. Your doctor, family, and friends can help you do this.

Coping with stress

Some people find that relieving stress helps them during recovery. Although there is little research to show that managing stress helps you stay sober, you may find that it helps you feel better overall.

Here are some things you can try:

• Write. Expressing yourself in writing can be a good way to reduce your stress level.
• Share your feelings. Talking, laughing, crying, and expressing anger are normal parts of the emotional healing process and help relieve stress.
• Do something you enjoy. A hobby or other healthy leisure activity can help you relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others also can be a powerful stress-buster and help you stay sober.
• Relax physically. This includes breathing exercises, massage, aromatherapy, yoga, and traditional Chinese relaxation exercises, such as tai chi and qi gong.
• Relax mentally. This includes imagery exercises, listening to relaxing music, self-hypnosis, meditation, and humor.

A healthy lifestyle

When you abuse or are dependent on alcohol, you often get away from some of the basics of good health. Part of recovery is finding your way back to a healthy lifestyle.

• Exercise and be active. This may give you something to do instead of thinking about alcohol, and it also can help reduce stress. People who are fit usually have less anxiety, depression, and stress than people who aren’t active.⁸
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat a balanced diet. This helps your body deal with tension and stress. Whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and protein are part of a balanced diet